How to Play Blackjack

In this game, the player’s object is to draw cards that total 21 or come closer to 21 than the Dealer. All cards are equal to their face value, except for a King, Queen, or Jack which each count as 10. An Ace has the value of 11 unless that would give a player or the Dealer a score in excess of 21, in which case, it will have a value of 1.

The Dealer starts the game. Every player gets two cards, face up.

The Dealer gets two cards, but one card is face up and one face down— the Hole Card. Only after all players’ hands are played does the Dealer expose the Hole Card and play the Dealer’s hand. All cards are dealt from a shoe.

Once you have your two cards in front of you, you can choose to Stand (draw no more cards), or take a Hit (draw one more card) until you reach 21 or come as close as possible. However, if you go over 21, you Break and automatically lose. A winning hand pays even money.

Now the Dealer turns over the Hole Card and acts on the hand according to the rules of the game. The Dealer must draw to 16 and Stand when hard 17 or more is reached. At the end of the game, if your count is the same as the Dealer’s it is a Stand-Off (nobody wins). If the player’s count is greater than the Dealer’s count and both have not exceeded 21, or the Dealer’s count exceeds 21 and the player’s count does not, the player wins.

*NOTE: Some Blackjack tables will hit soft 17. All tables will clearly state the soft 17 rule.

What if you get Blackjack right away?

In the event your first two cards are an Ace and any ten-value card, the Dealer announces your hand as Blackjack. You will be paid at this time unless the Dealer has an Ace or a ten-value card as a face up card. In that case, you will not be paid until the Dealer’s Hole Card is checked. If the Dealer’s hand is Blackjack, it is a Stand-Off and the bet neither wins nor loses. A player winning Blackjack is paid off at odds 3 of 2. In the event  the player has Blackjack, and the Dealer draws 21 with more than 2 cards, the Blackjack is the winning hand and will be paid at odds of 3 to 2. In the event the player draws 21 with more than 2 cards, the Dealer’s Blackjack is the winning hand.

*NOTE: Some Blackjack tables will pay Blackjack odds of 6 to 5. All tables will clearly state the Blackjack odds payoff.

Even Money:

A player who has Blackjack has the option to be paid even money on the Blackjack Wager instead of making an Insurance Wager.  This option can be used at the same time the dealer offers insurance to the players (before the dealer checks to see if he/she has Blackjack).  If the player elects

the even money option instead of insurance, the player will be paid 1 to 1 immediately. The hand is over for that player.

*NOTE: On any Blackjack game that has 6 to 5 Blackjack payoff odds even money option is not available.

Side Bets:

We will offer side bets in Blackjack, specifically Kings Bounty, 21 + 3 Xtreme and Blazing 7’s Progressive. These bets in no way change the game of Blackjack but rather give the player the opportunity to make an additional wager which will pay odds depending on the players and dealers hand.

Kings Bounty:

The Kings Bounty wager is a bet that the player’s first two cards will add up to 20. In order to play the Kings Bounty wager, the player must make a regular blackjack wager. If the player’s first two cards are both Kings  of Spades, the player will be paid at 100 to 1 unless the dealer has a

Blackjack. In that case, the player will be paid at 1,000 to 1. If the player’s first two cards are suited Kings he/she will be paid at 30 to 1. If the player’s first two cards are suited “Queens”, “Jacks”, or “Tens”, he/she will be paid at 20 to 1. If the player’s first two cards are a suited 20, that is, the cards are of the same suit and add up to 20; he/she will be paid at 9 to 1.  If the player’s first two cards are two “Kings” he/she will be paid at 6 to 1. If the player’s first two cards are unsuited 20 he/she will be paid at 4 to 1.

21 + 3 Xtreme:

21+3 is an optional proposition wager on the game of blackjack and is based on a 3 card hand using the dealer’s one (1) up card and the player’s two (2) initial up cards to form a 3 card poker hand. Winning hands of a Straight Flush, 3 of a Kind, Straight, and Flush are paid according to the posted paytable. In order to play the 21+3 wager, the player must make a regular blackjack wager.  When the players first two cards and the dealers up card form a Straight Flush he/she will be paid at 30 to 1. When the players first two cards and the dealers up card form a 3 of a Kind he/she will be paid at 20 to 1.

When the players first two cards and the dealers up card form a Straight he/she will be paid at 10 to 1. When the players first two cards and the dealers up card form a Flush he/she will be paid at 5 to 1.

Blazing 7’s Progressive:

Blazing 7’s Progressive is an optional progressive side bet for blackjack. Players must make a standard blackjack bet in order to make a Blazing 7’s progressive bet. The Blazing 7’s Progressive considers the player’s hand first two cards along with the dealers up card. If the player

cannot form three 7’s with their two cards and the dealers up card the progressive will lose. When the player is dealt one 7 he/she will be paid at 2 for 1.  When the player is dealt two 7’s he/she will be paid at 25 for 1.

When the player is dealt three mixed 7’s using the dealers up card he/she will be paid 200 for 1. When the player is dealt three same color non-suited 7’s he/she will be paid 500 for 1. When the player is dealt three suited non-Diamond 7’s he/she will be paid at 10% of the progressive jackpot. When the player is dealt three 7 of Diamonds he/ she will be paid at 100% of the progressive jackpot.

Blackjack Terms

Splitting Pairs:

If your first two cards are a pair with the same numeric value, you may split them into two hands. You must bet the same amount as your original wager on each hand formed by splitting a pair. If the Dealer gets Blackjack, only the original wager is collected.

You must complete play on your first hand before playing your second hand. However, you may double down on each hand. If the split pairs are Aces, you will receive only one card on each for a total of two hands. For  all other split pairs, a player may split one more pair if the second card dealt is identical in value to a card of the split pair, for a total of three hands. Aces may only be spilt once for a total of two hands.

*NOTE: Players are permitted to split (3) times for a total of (4) hands except when otherwise stated on the table.

Surrender:

Surrender is an option that allows players to relinquish half of the wager provided the Dealer does not have Blackjack. If the dealer’s face up card is an Ace, 10, Jack, Queen or King, the Dealer will check to see if they have Blackjack. If they do not have Blackjack, the player will then have the opportunity to surrender half of their wager when it is their turn to act on their hand. This is done through a verbal command by the player along with hand signal (one finger moving left to right) behind the wager, indicating they wish to surrender their hand.

*NOTE: Surrender is not available on all Blackjack tables and will be clearly stated on the table.

Doubling Down:

After you get your first two cards, or on the first two cards of any split pair, you may make an additional wager up to the original amount except when your first two cards total 21. When Doubling Down, you draw only one additional card. If the Dealer gets Blackjack after you’ve Doubled Down, only the amount of the original wager is collected.

Insurance:

If the Dealer’s face up card is an Ace, and prior to anyone receiving additional cards, you may take insurance. To do this, you place a bet of no more than one-half of your original bet on the insurance line. If the Dealer’s Hole Card is a 10, Jack, Queen, or King, you win your insurance bet at odds of 2 to 1. If the Dealer’s Hole Card is any other card, you lose

your insurance bet. The Dealer collects all losing insurance wagers before continuing the hand. If the correct amount of insurance cannot be bet due to the limitation of the value of chip denomination (i.e., a $7.50 bet allowing a $3.75 insurance bet), the player may bet above the allowable maximum allowable (i.e., $4.00).

Handling of Cards:

Players are not allowed to touch the cards on shoe delivery games.

Value of the Player’s Hand:

The player is responsible for the correct count of his or her hand.

Hand Signals:

The player is responsible for the proper use of hand signals to indicate Hit or Stand. Other decisions may be made verbally.